Pro-164: Would the antenna I bought have worked?

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Oct 18, 2023
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221
Considering the fact that the new antenna does not work at all, it's a safe bet that the problem is a broken connection. The weak link is the connection between the connector and the circuit board. The BNC connectors are pretty rugged. I have seen so many reports of the same results after stress being applied to the antenna. There has been an epidemic of broken connections with handheld scanners.
I removed the back cover from my PRO-164 to have a look. To properly repair the connector if damaged would require lifting or removing that metal RF shield. I would not advise anyone that does not posses good soldering skills to attempt that. It requires a vacuum iron to remove the solder without applying heat too long that would damage the circuit card. With good skill, solder wick may work, but not the best way. With a bright light you may be able to see through that opening on the outer side and see if the center pin is disconnected, but I would think it quite difficult to solder through that opening.
 

Aviation_Scanner

WSEY205
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Dec 31, 2023
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Location
Houston, Texas
I removed the back cover from my PRO-164 to have a look. To properly repair the connector if damaged would require lifting or removing that metal RF shield. I would not advise anyone that does not posses good soldering skills to attempt that. It requires a vacuum iron to remove the solder without applying heat too long that would damage the circuit card. With good skill, solder wick may work, but not the best way. With a bright light you may be able to see through that opening on the outer side and see if the center pin is disconnected, but I would think it quite difficult to solder through that opening.
Thanks for the tips.
I do not intend on proceeding any further and will wait for the replacement antenna I ordered from whistler to get here.
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
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Feb 10, 2019
Messages
10,661
Location
Baltimore County, MD
Glad to hear it's working but I still have a sinking feeling. You had to push in on the connector to install the new antenna. Sorry to be a pessimist, but I still have doubts if it is fixed. Time will tell! Let's pray to the scanner gods.
 
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